5 Public Health Research Careers
- Clinical Research Director
- Bioterrorism Researcher
- Mental Health Researcher
- Health Outcomes Researcher
- Research Analyst
Public Health is a great field where professionals are able to give back to their communities. While many do work directly with patients in acute settings, there’s a long list of different positions behind the scenes that can be just as rewarding. Anyone who has a passion for both research and public health should look for specialized opportunities in the community. Here are some of the best opportunities for researchers are various levels of public health:
1. Clinical Research Director
If you want to earn a sizable salary and you don’t want to directly treat patients, working in clinical research could be the answer. As a clinical research director, you will oversee researchers in the department who are tasked to conduct research on programs for treating infectious disease and their outcomes.
Directors don’t only perform research duties to look for viable healthcare solutions in clinical settings, they also are in charge of developing operating procedures and guidelines. They will also perform human resource functions within the research department and balance the budget. Since they play a huge role in the running of research programs, they earn an average of $144,829 per year according to Glassdoor.
2. Bioterrorism Researcher
If you love biology, chemistry, and science in general, you may be a good fit for a research position in public health specializing in bioterrorism research. Bioterrorism researchers work to identify the risks that are present concerning bioterrorism.
It’s not uncommon for researchers in this sub-field to collect samples of various agents found in public settings to send to the lab. They will gather various risk assessment data, analyze the data, and then come up with strategies to improve safety and threat responses. Researchers can also play a role in helping to shape policy.
3. Mental Health Researcher
Mental health is a huge focus on public health organization. Policymakers are even pushing to find ways to offer help to individuals who suffer from mental health issues. Mental health researchers play a role in assessing demographics and mental health diagnoses to determine how these conditions have an impact on populations, socioeconomics, and the environment.
A mental health researcher will possess a doctorate in psychology. They will need to have experience in clinical practice settings before beginning to study effects of the psychological disease in the public. All of the information that is uncovered can be used to help develop treatment programs.
4. Health Outcomes Researcher
Public health programs are funded by the tax dollars and created to improve the health of populations in the local area. Not all prevention and treatment programs that are offered at a public level are successful. To determine what is and what is not working, health outcomes researchers will analyze positive and negative changes in public health that are directly affected by a specific community program. The determination is then sent to agencies in charge of changing public health programs.
5. Research Analyst
All researchers work with data, but a research analyst is one of the sole members of the clinical trial team who works with data primarily. They will use different research programs and software to store information that is stored by the trial team when studying treatment modalities. They will spot potential for human error and record results to spot the chance for interventions.
Related Resource: 10 Most Affordable MPH Degrees Online 2018
There are plenty of research careers in the public health spectrum that are rewarding and fulfilling. Each of the careers offers a different level of education to be completed. In some areas, you can work with an undergraduate degree. Other areas require as much as a Ph.D. Choose the research careers and then set your educational goals.